


Visitation

by InsaneTrollLogic



Series: CW Impulse Fic [5]
Category: Impulse (Comics), The Flash (Comics), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, First Meetings, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-24 08:30:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8365198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneTrollLogic/pseuds/InsaneTrollLogic
Summary: Barry and Bart make a trip to Iron Heights to see Henry.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Doing warm-ups for nano. Have a bit of Impulse in the CW verse fluff.

Bart’s never been to a prison before. Barry’s hand tightens on his elbow as they move in through security at Iron Heights. The guard at reception watches the two of them with curiosity while Barry fills out the required forms. “I don’t think Dad’s expecting us,” he confesses.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Allen,” the guard says, looking over the paperwork. “I’m sure your dad will be thrilled to meet his grandson.”

Bart’s hand finds Barry’s and squeezes. Barry squeezes back, leaning down to whisper in his ear, “Remember what we talked about.”

Bart nods, gnawing on his lip. In his jeans and plaid over-shirt, he looks uncomfortable in ways he never does in spandex. They’d gone over prison etiquette for days. The reasons Barry’s dad was locked up and why Bart would have to meet his grandfather through a pane of glass.

They’re ushered into the visitation room, Bart still clutching Barry’s hands as he moves for the usual booth. Rather than pull up a spare chair, Bart clamors up into Barry’s lap, like he was closer to his actual age of two and a half rather than his hypermetabolism induced, twelve years. Barry takes a steadying breath of his own as his father is marched into the room by a pair of armed guards. He does a double take at the kid in Barry’s arms before he picks up the phone.

“Son,” Henry says.

“Dad,” Barry greets.

They stare at each other for a moment before, Henry’s eyes shift to catalogue Bart’s appearance.

And Barry knows what that’s like. Apparently Bart doesn’t look much like his universe’s Barry Allen who was blond haired and blue eyed with a build a little more substantial than a wiry runner’s body, but he looked a hell of a lot like this universe’s Barry.

“I think we have a lot to talk about,” Henry says.

“Might be better at a later visit,” Barry concedes. He has full plans to visit his dad as the Flash and give a much more detailed explanation. But as long as he kept the embargo on Bart wearing the Impulse costume, he didn’t have much choice at methods of introductions. “I just wanted to introduce Bart.”

At the sound of his name, Bart raises his head.

“Bart,” Henry says. A smile quirks his lips. “Bart Allen. It’s a good name.”

Barry feels the knot in his stomach ease. “Yeah,” he says. “Thought you should meet your grandson.”

He hands the phone to Bart who tugs at the cord like it’s a foreign implement before putting the receiver to his ear. Bart listens for a long moment, before tumbling into his part of the conversation, the words speeding faster and faster as Henry Allen listens. Barry waits a few minutes before squeezing Bart’s shoulder and chastising, “Slower, kiddo.”

Bart rolls his eyes. “Right. Normal speed.”

Behind the glass, Henry chuckles and motions for Bart to hand the phone back.

“He takes after you,” Henry says. “And clearly Joe and I miscommunicated about who was supposed to give the birds and the bees talk.”

“Wouldn’t have made a difference.” Barry scrubs a hand over his face. “More fallout from the particle accelerator.”

Henry nods again, recognizing the shorthand. Particle accelerator means Flash related. “You’re keeping him safe?”

Thinking of last week’s debacle with Captain Cold, Barry tightens his hand on Bart’s shoulders. “As much as I possibly can.”

“You know you don’t have to bring him around here, right?” Henry says. “You have a life Barry. A kid. And no matter what the circumstances, he should come first. He doesn’t need to see me in here.”

Barry gapes at him through the glass. It takes him a moment to find his voice. “You’re innocent.”

Henry sighs. “You really think the kids at Bart’s school will see it that way?”

No, because they never did when Barry was growing up. Bad enough the kid didn’t have a mother. While Barry stares through the glass, trying to formulate his rebuttal, Bart tugs on his sleeve and when Barry doesn’t immediately acknowledge him, tugs on the phone cord. “Dad, I wanna talk to grampa again.”

Barry doesn’t have much by way of defenses when Bart calls him dad so he let the kid take the phone again, trying not to eavesdrop as Bart launched into a high speed retelling of his first few days in the past. It’s edited haphazardly to remove the pieces directly related to the Flash, but to anyone in the know, the gaps are obvious. Henry smiles at Bart’s enthusiasm, but Barry’s not sure he can pick out more than every other word.

But what Barry can’t miss is Bart’s soft, “Love you,” before he passes the phone back.

The security guard at the door, catches Barry’s eye and taps the watch on her wrist. Barry pulls the phone back up to his ear. “Bart doesn’t have a lot of family,” he says. “And you’re a big part of what he has left. We’ll see you next week.”


End file.
